Everything you need to travel safely this holiday season

Holiday! it’s not just a word but a feeling that has evolved and changed over the years.

When we were young, the only forte was to spend our holidaystraveling away from home with friends and family to explore new places. But now we’ve come to a point where people live far away to earn bread or to study further and improve career prospects. With changing times, the meaning of the holiday has also changed. And those who live thousands of miles away from their family feel this the most.

In today’s fast-paced life, vacation simply means traveling back to our family. People travel distances to meet their family and spend quality time with their loved ones. But in this circle of life, one thing that has remained the same is the journey itself during the holiday season and it’s very important that you travel safely with your family or to your family.

With the holiday season coming up its time to plan a vacation with your family, reviving the true meaning of a family holiday. Here are a few travel tips that would make sure you reach back home safe and sound.

1) Pre-book your travel

It’s very important to ensure that you travel at ease, especially when you are traveling with your loved ones. Pre-booking your travel, whether it is a flight, a train, a hotel or private airport transfers for your journey will ensure that you don’t face any last minute hassle during your vacation. It is hard to get these facilities booked at reasonable prices, as prices of most of them will be raised due to holidays. Pre-booking keeps you hassle free from planning your next move at every connectivity of your travel as everything would be as per your convenience before you arrive. And the most important advantage of pre-booking is it helps avoid unnecessary peak charges and hurtle.

2) Travel early or late at night

The best time to travel on holidays is that you start your trip when everybody else is on their deep slumber. The reason behind it is that the chances of getting stuck in traffic reduce. and you can also avoid the frustration of crowded airport as people tend to travel less at this time of the day. Traveling before 7 am or after 11 pm can make your travel faster, in case you are traveling by road as chances are there is significantly reduced traffic on the route you decide to take.

3) Make sure you never run out of money

There is nothing worse than running out of money while traveling. Always make sure you carry some cash, both notes, and coins, your cards work properly. Inform your credit card company that you are traveling, this will give you an acknowledgment that the transactions you make are not flagged as fraudulent, which in turn reduces your card getting blocked. You can also switch to No-Fee ATM Cards, which will help you save an extra dollar for your every transaction.

4) Make your own emergency kit.

It’s very important to be ready for any kind of emergency when traveling with a family. Having your own emergency kit bag or backup plans for any such situation is what a sign of smart traveler is.

As its the winter holidays, your bag should not miss these essentials.

Small shovel (just in case of heavy snowfall), an extra pair of gloves, hats, and blankets, a first aid kit, flashlights with fresh batteries, nonperishable snack bars, paper towels, and the most important, a power bank or charger with cable for your phone.

Apart from these essentials, you must always have a backup plan while traveling. Don’t just rely on one route, what if you end up hitting a road closure or some construction work? Always have your plan B whether it’s about the road or the hotel in which you are planning to stay. This will help you to navigate your way around any obstacles.

5) Drive safely/book your private ground transfers

It is entirely possible that the roads could be covered in snow or ice. If you are planning to drive on your own, make sure you drive safely on the icy roads. In tricky situations, remember when to reduce speed and make sure you leave plenty of distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front on hazardous road conditions. If you are not used to driving in icy road conditions, its best to hire a car, as professional chauffeurs are used to drive on such roads and this will allow you to plan how to spend more time with your family than sitting on the driver seat and focusing on your driving.

Map your route smartly, know how you can plot your connections in the itinerary to avoid sprint through the different locations. Download offline maps of the route on any smartphone. Also, make sure you have rest stops at regular intervals. This will help you and your family regain the energy to travel further and enjoy the holiday better.

6) Having a travel insurance is the must

Accidents these days are more frequent and uncertain as millions of people are traveling at the same time for their holidays. You should ensure that you have a safe journey, and to make it safer for your family, having a travel insurance is a good option. Travel insurance is more than just a medical protection if you choose a good insurance plan. It would help you cover your money if your camera breaks, or if something gets stolen during your travel, a canceled flight, unfortunate medical incident in the family that makes you fly back home and much more. Right travel insurance provides you with a sense of security and peace of mind during your travel.

Holidays are not meant to be anxious time to travel, no matter how long your trip is. If you plan and organize properly, it leaves behind a bunch of beautiful memories to remember. These safety tips will help you do that. Make sure you follow them before you start your holiday travel, and your trip will stay what it’s supposed to be – fun and memorable!